January 11 marked a historic milestone for Bitcoin as its spot ETF was approved after a decade of反复 applications, opening new doors for traditional investors. Ethereum is now poised to emerge as the next major narrative.
With the upcoming Dencun upgrade—featuring EIP-4844 to reduce L2 transaction fees and enhance performance—Arbitrum has become a focal point. The ecosystem is thriving, and Offchain Labs' Arbitrum Orbit (a framework for building dedicated chains) is gaining traction, potentially accelerating Ethereum’s multi-chain future.
Steven Goldfeder, co-founder of Offchain Labs, revealed that 50+ Orbit chains are in development, with projections of 150 live chains by 2024. Below, we explore 18 key projects leveraging Orbit’s advantages: low-cost transactions, high throughput, customizable gas tokens, and flexible governance.
Offchain Labs’ Product Ecosystem
- Arbitrum One: Optimistic Rollup L2 with $2.3B TVL and 440+ dApps.
- Arbitrum Nova: AnyTrust-based chain for gaming/social apps (e.g., Reddit’s Community Points).
- Arbitrum Orbit: Permissionless chains with Rollup/AnyTrust options, supporting custom gas tokens (e.g., ERC-20 for fees).
- Stylus: EVM+ compatibility for Solidity, Rust, C++, enabling high-performance smart contracts.
👉 Discover how Arbitrum Orbit chains are transforming scalability
Arbitrum Orbit Chain Projects
1. Xai
- Focus: Gaming L3 chain using AnyTrust.
- Backers: Offchain Labs + Xai Foundation.
- Features: Wallet abstraction, higher gas limits, and games like Final Form (launching April 2024).
- Token: XAI (Binance Launchpool listing).
2. Frame
- Focus: NFT-centric L2 for creators/collectors.
- Launch: Mainnet live January 31, backed by Electric Capital.
3. RARI Chain
- Focus: EVM-equivalent chain for NFTs (powering Rarible Protocol).
- Partners: LayerZero (cross-chain ONFTs), Gelato (gasless minting).
4. Cometh
- Focus: Gaming L3 "Muster" with AltLayer.
- Highlight: Card game Cosmik Battle deploying on Orbit.
5. Syndr
- Focus: Institutional derivatives L3 (gas-free trading).
- Status: Live on Arbitrum Goerli testnet.
FAQs
Q: What’s the advantage of Arbitrum Orbit over OP Stack?
A: Orbit offers deeper Arbitrum Nitro integration, Stylus compatibility, and customizable gas tokens.
Q: How do Orbit chains handle data availability?
A: Chains can use Ethereum (Rollup) or DA committees (AnyTrust), with options like Celestia (via AltLayer’s Nitrogen testnet).
Q: Are there governance tokens for Orbit chains?
A: Yes—e.g., RARI Chain is governed by RARI DAO; Kinto’s KINTO token allocates 60% to community.
Emerging Orbit Chains
- Meliora: Fixed-income L3 with CREDIT/MELIORA gas tokens.
- OurSong: Music NFT platform (backed by John Legend).
- Parallel Network: Unified liquidity L2 (featuring ERC-4337 AA).
- Kinto: KYC-compliant L2 for institutional DeFi (launching February 2024).
👉 Explore more about Arbitrum’s multi-chain vision
Final Notes: Arbitrum Orbit is diversifying Ethereum’s scalability with niche L2/L3 chains, from gaming (Xai, Fiefdom) to finance (Syndr, Kinto). As adoption grows, expect deeper integration with tools like Celestia and AltLayer—ushering in a true multi-chain ecosystem.